Elevating roller attachment.



Patented lilly 29, |902. A. H. CENTNER. ELEVATING RLLER ATTACHMENT.

(Appuctmn med nm. 14, 1902.)

('llo Model.)A

2 Sheets-Sheet vI` MJNI No. 705,905. Patented :my 2'9, l|902.

A. H. cammen.

ELEVTING ROLLER ATTACHMENT., (Application med Mar'. 14, 1902.)

www. n an" UNITEDv STATES? PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT II. CENTNEB., OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

ELEVATING ROLLER ATTACHM ENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 705,905, dated July 29,1902. Application led March 14,1902. Serial No. 98,212. (No model.)

To all wir/0777, t may concer-n:

Be it known that I, ALBERT H. CENTNER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illi-` nois,have invented new and useful Improvements in' Elevating RollerAttachments, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an elevating roller attachment of that classdesigned to conveniently transport .heavy articles, such as domesticmachines, heavy household furniture, and store and office furniture orother heavy articles to which ordinary rollers cannot be practically orconveniently applied.

The main object of the present improvement is to provide a simple andeffective device capable of being disposed in stable position to receivethe article, machine, or other device to be moved or transported therebyand afterward adjustable to bring the rollers into engagement with thesurface on which the attachment is resting and disengage the legs of theattachment from such surface.

. the rollers thereof in operative relation inV A further object in viewis to provide an elevating roller attachment having simple andreadily-operated means for suspending 'such a manner as to resist anytendency to,- 'ward inoperative disposal of the rollers by the weightimposed upon the attachment.

With these and other objects and advantages in view the inventionconsists in the construction and arrangement of the several parts, whichwill be more fully described and claimed hereinafter. A In the drawings,Figure 1 is a perspective view of the improved roller attach ment,showing it arranged to bring the rollers in contact with the surfaceover which the device is to move in full lines and the roller elevatedout of operative position in relation to the supportingsurface in dottedlines. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the improved attachment. Fig. 3 is atransverse vertical section of the same.

Similar numerals of reference are employed to indicate correspondingparts in the several views. v

The numeral 1 designates a series of yuprights, four of the latter beingused in the present instance and inwardly converged to-V ward theirupper ends, where they are connected to a supporting-bed. The legs areattached to a horizontally-disposed spider 3, which may be of anysuitable form and provided with a central web 4, with an aperturetherethrough. 'Ihe uprights at a distance slightly below the spider 3flare or project outwardly to increase the area of the base-rest of theuprights, so as to give the improved device a more stable position inrelation to the surface on which it is disposed. Two of the uprights 1are connected near their lower ends by a bar 5, for a purpose which willbe hereinafter set forth', and to the inner edges of the said uprightsnear their lower ends lev vers 6 are hinged or movably attachedV andrsaid tongues to compensate for the movement of the levers 6 at an anglewhen the balls 8 of the feet 7 are thrown out of engagement with thesurface on which the attachment is disposed and as clearly shown bydotted lines in Fig. l.

Rising from the center of the table 11 and rigidly attached to thelatter is an upright' spindle 14, freely movable through the web 4 ofthe spider 3 andserving to cause the several levers to be uniformly adjusted,either to throw them out of contact with the surface over whichthe device is disposed or to bring the balls or rollers 8 into operativeengagement with said surface. f.

Secured to the'center of the bar 5 is one end of a treadle 15, theopposite end of the latter being attached, by a flexible connection 16,to a loop 17, depending from the under side of the table 11. Looselydependingfrom the spider 3 is a locking rod or bar 18, which is adaptedto have its lower end brought in contact with the treadlev 15 to holdthe table 11 in its lowered position and maintaining the rollers 8 inengagement with the surface on IOO which the device is disposed, andthus resist any tendency of the said rollers to become disengaged fromthe surface over which the attachment is moved or thrown up, as shown indotted lines by Fig. 1, by the Weight of the device supported on the bed2.

In the use and operation of the device one or more of the same is placedunder the article or structure to be transported or moved from one placeto another, and during the disposal ofthe device to be moved on the bed2 the lower ends of the uprights are brought into contact with thesurface over which the attachment is to be shifted. After the device tobe transported is disposed on the bed 2 pressure is exerted on thetreadle 15 by the foot of the operator,and the table 11 is brought downto the position shown in full lines, so as to elevate the bed 2 or throwthe feet 7 of the levers 6 into such position that the rollers or balls8 will depend below the lower ends of the uprights 1 and replace thesaid lower ends of the uprights to support the attachment and the weightimposed thereon. After the levers 6 are brought down into the positionshown by Fig. 1 they are locked against accidental displacement fromsuch position by moving the rod 18 until the lower end thereof contactswith the upper surface of Vthe treadle, and thereby the rollers or ballsSwill be held in practically projected position. The article offurniture or other device held on the bed 2 will then be free to berolled or readily mo'ved over the surfaceon which the balls or rollers 8have bearing. When the article of furniture or device transported' bythe improved attachmentis moved to the position or place desired, therod 18 will be released and the lower ends of the uprights 1 will beagain uniformly brought into contact with the surface previously engagedby the balls or rollers S.

. From the foregoing it will be seen that an exceptionally simple,strong, and durable attachment is provided for moving heavy articles,and the expense'ot manufacture of the same is reduced to a minimum inview of the simplicity of the structure. It is proposed to form theimproved attachment of any kindof metal and to reinforce the partswhenever found necessary. y

The parts of lthe improved device may be suitably ornamented, painted,or otherwise coated, and to suit various uses changes in theproportions, dimensions, and form may be resorted to without in theleast departing from the principle of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is- 1. Anelevating roller attachment of the class set forth comprising a seriesof uprights connected to an upper bed, a series of levers thereon, andcentrally-located means for op-` erating the levers and throwing therollers thereof below the lower ends of the said devices.

3. An elevating roller attachment of the class set forth comprising aseries of upright supporting devices, levers movably attached to theinner portions of said devices and provided with outer depending feethaving rollers thereon, central operating mechanism connected to saidlevers for throwing the rollers of the latter below the lower ends ofthe upright supporting devices, and means for locking the saidcentraloperating mechanism against movement when the rollers on the levers aredepressed.

4. An elevating roller attachment of -the class set forth,comprisingaseries of uprights, levers attached to the innen-lowerportions thereof and provided with outer depending feet having rollersthereon, a spider horizontally disposed and connected to the uprightsabove the plane of the levers, a central table attached at oppositepoints to the levers and provided with au upwardly-projectingspindlemovable through the spider, and a treadle attached to the table forlowering the latter and throwing the rollers on the levers intooperative position.

5. Au elevating roller attachment of the.

class set forth, comprising a series of uprights, levers attached to theinner, lower portions thereof and provided with outer depending feethaving rollers thereon, a spider horizontally disposed and connected tothe uprights above the plane of the levers, a central table attached atopposite points to the levers and provided with an upwardly-projectingspindle movable through they spider, a treadle attached to the table forlowering the latter and throwing the rollers on the levers intooperative position, and a locking-rod loosely depending from the spiderand adapted to engage the treadle. y

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ALBERT H. CENTNER.

Witnesses:

JOHN HEIDRICH, HERMAN CIRvEs.

IOO

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